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Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The perfect cup of tea always starts with the perfect brew - which is different for everyone.

This site is built to showcase ways to brew, and some of the most innovative brewing techniques and products out there today.

Happy Brewing!

Standard Iced Teabag Brewing

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

I think brewing iced tea from hot tea is a lost art. Not many people do it these days, especially with the sugar/powered stuff taking its place. I say we bring it back, because the flavor is just so fresh and refreshing.

Here is a good standard iced brew how-to for you, to get you started:

1. Fill a kettle with fresh, cold water and heat it to a rolling boil. 2. Place 3 standard 4 gram tea sachets at the bottom of a pitcher. 3. Fill the pitcher with 2 cups of hot water from the kettle. Let steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Kalahari encourages you to experiment to discover your favored steeping time. 4. After removing tea bags, add an additional 2 cups of cold water. 5. Chill and Enjoy (makes roughly 5 servings).

Standard Hot Teabag Brewing

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

We are starting off with a standard hot tea brew with tea bags. If you never have made tea before, this will get you started.

1. Fill a kettle with fresh, cold water and heat it to a rolling boil. 2. Place one tea sachet at the bottom of your cup. 3. Fill one cup with 8oz of hot water (about one standard coffee mug) from the kettle. Let steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Kalahari encourages you to experiment to discover your favored steeping time. 4. Enjoy (but careful - it's hot!).

Intermediate Tea: Hot Brewing Tips

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 00:00:00 -0500

There are some simple techniques for brewing tea that will make the difference between making a good cup of brew and a great one.

Sparkling Clean Equipage

Before making your tea, check to be sure your teapot and utensils are clean. While this seems obvious, kettles, teapots, cups, strainers and other tea accessories need to be gently washed on a regular basis with soap or baking soda (even if they are just used for boiling water or brewing tea).

This helps to remove mineral deposits and old residue that can taint the flavor of your freshly made brew.

Start with Cold, Good-Tasting Water

Since tea is comprised of 99% water, the type of water you use will affect the clarity and taste of your beverage. So if your water tastes good then your tea will taste good.

The best type of water to use when brewing tea is filtered or bottled water (not distilled water) that is free of chemicals and chlorine. If that isn’t available and you are using tap water, run your faucet for around ten seconds and until the tap water is cold before filling your tea kettle.

Water and Steeping

For each cup of tea you prepare, you will want to heat 6 ounces of water. So if you are making a pot of tea, be sure you have pre-measured the amount of water the pot holds. The water temperature and length of steeping time varies by the blend of tea you are brewing.

Here are some general tea brewing guidelines for water temperature and steeping times. Adjust the heat and time based on your individual preferences.

The time it takes to brew tea correlates to the size of the leaf in your blend. This means the larger the leaf the longer the brewing time.

Black:

* Water Temp: 205-212 F * Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes

Oolong:

* Water Temp: 185-200 F * Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes

Green:

* Water Temp: 165-185 F * Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes

White:

* Water Temp: 160-175 F * Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes

Herbal/Tisanes:

* Water Temp: 205-212 F * Steeping Time: 5-7 minutes

Amount of Tea

To maximize taste, it is preferable to brew tea leaves in loose form rather than using a small tea ball or infuser (yet these accessories are popular, convenient, and yield tasty brews). This allows the leaves to fully open and release all their flavor.

Use 1 teaspoon of whole leaf tea for each 6 ounce cup you are brewing. This is the standard for compact blends. If you are brewing tea that has a lot of volume, consider using up to two tablespoons per serving.

If you want the convenience of using a tea bag or sachet, simply use one for every cup of tea you are making. The key to good tasting brew is to make sure your tea bags are always fresh.

The tea in commercially produced bags is typically comprised of small pieces of leaves or fannings that are susceptible to becoming stale faster than the well-stored loose leaf variety.

Serving

When your tea is done steeping, immediately remove the loose tea from the strainer or the tea bag and lightly stir. Then serve while fresh and hot. If your tea gets too cool, it is best to enjoy it over ice verses re-heating the brew.

Depending on your preference, you can enjoy drinking your beverage plain or with a bit of milk, lemon, honey or sugar. In Asia, people typically drink tea without accompaniments.

In England, a small amount of milk is often added for extra body and smoothness. In Russia, brewing tea and adding lemon is common. Raspberry jam is sometimes added for sweetness.

Yet, brewing tea is all about the experience and how you take your tea is a matter of individual taste and enjoyment. Experiment until you find a combination that suits your palate "to a tea."

From Learn-About-Tea.com

Instructions for an English Cuppa

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 00:00:00 -0500

How to Make a Real Cup of English Tea

Since the rise of the humble teabag which was introduced to the UK by Tetley Tea in 1953, the art of making a real cup of English tea has been on the decline, with many 'tea drinkers' choosing to mash their tea in a mug. Of course back in the Victorian times, taking tea was more of an event; with the 'tea maker' even mixing a blend of tea leaves them selves. Interestingly, the first tea bag recorded was in around 1908. Introduced by a gentleman called Thomas Sullivan, from the USA. The Victorian connoisseurs of tea must have rejected the idea. After all, the Victorians enjoyed the whole event of tea drinking and chattering; why would they want to speed up the process?

To make a real cup of tea you will need: A quality blend of tea leaves. Loose tea is best, however a good brand of tea bags will suffice. (Remember if the tealeaves were cheap, the tea will taste accordingly) If you choose to use leaves you will also need a tea strainer.

You will also need a kettle full of boiling water, a teapot, a teaspoon, a china mug or cup and saucer, milk and sugar to taste.

First pour around a quarter of a pint of the boiling water into the teapot. Put the lid on the teapot and swill the hot water around inside the teapot before pouring the water out of the spout and down the sink. This is called 'Warming the Pot.'

Warming the teapot ensures that when the teapot is filled with water for making tea, that the water will remain hot and wont loose any heat tot he teapot. Keeping the tea water hot not only keeps the finished tea at an optimum temperature for drinking, but also helps with the tea brewing itself. Piping hot water aids the tealeaves to effuse.

One the teapot is hot, you should add the tealeaves. The general rule is to add a teaspoon of loose tea or a teabag for every person who will be taking tea, plus 'One for the Pot.' Therefore, if five people are taking tea, you should add six teaspoons of tealeaves or six teabags to the teapot.

Now pour on the boiling water. You should add enough water to fill everyone's teacup. Put the lid on the teapot to retain the heat. Leave the teapot to stand for two minutes.

Then remove the teapot lid and stir the tea with a spoon. Replace the lid and again leave it to stand two more minutes. The tea is now ready for pouring.

China cups are best for drinking tea from, which is why the Victorians chose to drink from beautiful china tea sets. It just makes the tea taste better.

Controversy has arisen as to when the milk should be added to tea. Some people saying that the milk should be poured in first and others saying that the tea is poured first. Obviously as a nation we have got used to brewing tea in a mug. This way the tea is always added first. However, to make a real cup of English tea the milk is always added to the cup first, followed by the tea.

Sugar is than added last to taste. A sugar bowl is necessary because it largely depends on the size of the cup as to how much sugar you will take in your tea. The larger the cup or mug the more sugar you may need. Of course with just a small china cup you need far less sugar.

When the tea has been poured, the teapot should be again filled with boiling water in readiness for a second serving. Stir the tea and replace the lid and cover the teapot with a tea cosy to keep the tea piping hot. By the time you have drunk your first cup of tea, the second batch of tea will be ready for pouring.

We should bring back the art of tea making. It's a relaxing social event that everyone young and old can enjoy. Funny isn't it how we buy little girls pretty little tea sets to make imaginary tea for their dollies, and yet as adults we have removed the fun and we just sling a teabag in a mug. Join the campaign and dig out your teapot and treat yourself and your friends and family to a real English cup of tea and a chat, today.

From Content4Reprint.com

Sweet Tea, Mint Tea, Fruit Tea...Iced Tea!

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 00:00:00 -0500

Iced tea tips and recipes

Basics: How to make Iced Tea

Iced tea is definitely a Southern thang. Any decent restaurant in the Southeastern US must be able to make a good glass of iced tea. Outside that region, people may be less particular. It may even be you’ve never had a really good glass of iced tea. There are a number of ways to make a good tea, and different people will prefer different methods. The basic rules:

Tips:

* Orange Pekoe tea is most traditional. Lipton or another grocery store brand in tea bags is absolutely fine – you don’t need gourmet stuff for this. * Plastic pitchers can affect the flavor of tea, so stick with glass. * Serve it chilled – don’t pour warm tea over ice cubes, as they’ll just melt and dilute the tea. Pour chilled tea from the fridge over ice cubes, and the tea will stay cool without getting diluted in the time it takes most people to finish a glass. * How much sweetener you like is up to you – there’s no hard and fast rule about this, even among Southerners. * If you find brewed tea bitter, add a pinch of baking soda.

Instructions:

1. Boil two quarts of water in a pot on the stove. (This is where you would add the baking soda mentioned above.) 2. After the water has boiled, put 10-16 regular size tea bags in. (You’re going to dilute this later.) 3. Remove the pot from heat and let the tea steep for about 5 minutes – definitely no more than 10. 4. Fill a gallon pitcher halfway with cold water. 5. Pour the hot tea into the half-filled pitcher. 6. Let it sit in the fridge, until it’s chilled (overnight is fine). 7. It’s preferable to serve it as soon as it’s chilled. The longer it sits beyond that point, the more the flavor changes in unpleasant ways. It’s better to make fresh tea every day. If that’s not practical for you, I find every other day is okay.

Getting creative with iced tea

The simplest way to jazz up iced tea is to use tea bags of various flavors. You can mix as many as you want. Just be sure there’s plenty of black tea in the mix (either orange pekoe bags, or flavored bags that use orange pekoe as a base) if you want it to still essentially taste like tea.

Sweetening with fruit juice. One of the very best iced teas I’ve ever had was simple orange pekoe iced tea sweetened with apple juice instead of sugar. I had to ask the owner of the restaurant what was in it, because it didn’t taste like apple – it was the most amazing, blended flavor. Pear juice is also delicious. Orange juice or lemonade will affect the flavor more than apple, but since iced tea is traditionally served with a wedge of lemon or orange, that’s not a bad thing. Raspberry or pomegranate juice also work well.

Vanilla extract. Put in a few drops, to taste.

Coffee extract. It may sound weird, but a touch of coffee extract – seriously, just a very few drops to a gallon, not enough to overwhelm – can add a bold, roasted quality to the flavor of iced tea.

Butterscotch extract. Mmmm.

Brew with cinnamon sticks. Toss some cinnamon sticks – I’d go with 5-6, but again it’s a matter of taste – into the boiled water at the same time as you put the tea bags in. Remove them when you pour the hot water in with the cold, or leave them if you like a really strong cinnamon flavor.

Mint. Adding mint sprigs is a very traditional way to flavor iced tea. Put them in when you pour the hot concentrated tea in with the cold water (Step 5).

From bohemianrevolution.com

Make your Own Red Espresso

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 00:00:00 -0500

Can't kick your coffee fix? Make your own 'Red Espresso'

So what is Red Espresso? Coffee? Tea? Or Both? Red Espresso is a tea-based drink that extracts Rooibos tea much in the same way you extract espresso coffee; under high pressure with a small volume of water. Tea has long been talked about for its healthy properties, will this herbal tea espresso catch on for a new super healthy, super cool way to enjoy a bit of coffee tea shop culture?

The Red Espresso is the basis for many drinks including red cappuccinos, red lattes, fresh reds (Rooibos tea and fruit juice) and red shakes.

I tried making my own Red Espresso by pulling a shot of Rooibos Tea through an espresso machine, which allows you to get a fruity highly flavorful red drink that can be a great alternative to an espresso. To be clear, it does NOT taste like coffee. It's overall not hard to do, but this is totally off the plan for what these machines were made to do, so try it at your own risk.

First I got the machine ready to go, and pulled apart two tea bags. I then scrunched them one by one into the filter basket by folding in the corners, trying to cover as much room as possible to keep the high pressure water going through the tea, not around it. I also had to make sure the filter's seal against the machine was solid.

I then wet the tea bags slightly to keep them seated in the filter. I then locked the filter on the machine, making sure the filter was sealed as intended without gaps. I then placed the espresso glass under it, stood back and turned the machine pump on. I was ready to flick it off again if things didn’t go right, but then went fine, and all of a sudden beautiful red foam, dare I say red crèma, came out of the machine. After a couple of ounces, I killed the pump and enjoyed my Red Espresso-like beverage. I can’t say that it’s dramatically different or better than the tea bag in a cup of hot water technique, but it’s a whole lot cooler.

From SingleServeEspresso.com

How to Make Kombucha Tea

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 00:00:00 -0500

To make kombucha, all you need is natural or organic black tea, sugar and the kombucha “mushroom”. It is not actually a mushroom, but a Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY). These organisms consume the majority of the sugar in the tea through the fermentation process and produce a myriad of beneficial byproducts including B vitamins and amino acids. It turns sugared black tea into a healthy pro-biotic drink that smells like vinegar and tastes like apple cider. Kombucha originated a long time ago in Asia, where it was said to have life extending effects.

Following are some simple instructions to make Kombucha. You can find plenty more details on the web or from you local Kombucha enthusiast:

1. Prepare your tea by boiling a gallon of water. Once it reaches a boil, I turn off the burner and add one cup of sugar and stir it in. 2. Once the sugar is dissolved, steep five tea bags or one family sized tea bag for 10 minutes and then remove. 3. Cool the tea to room temperature. I do this by placing the pot of tea in cold water in the sink for 30 minutes. If the tea is too hot you will kill your SCOBY – too cold and it make take longer to ferment. 4. Pour the tea into your fermentation container. I prefer a gallon jar. Place your SCOBY and starter (left over kombucha tea from a previous batch) into the tea. 5. Cover tightly with a cloth – something that is breathable but keeps bugs and debris out. I rubber band a clean washcloth over the mouth of the gallon jar. One key point here: make sure the outside of your jar and the mouth of your jar are dry. If your cover gets wet, it can introduce mold into your SCOBY and kill it. 6. Allow to ferment for 7 to 10 days. I prefer 14 days to give the Kombucha some kick – this is due to a higher acid content (the acids assist in liver function, glucuronic acid I believe), not from a higher alcohol content. The alcohol content of Kombucha Tea is minuscule and it is great for kids – it does, like normal tea, have caffeine. Your SCOBY will grow another SCOBY that forms on the surface of the tea. 7. Remove all the SCOBY and bottle the fermented tea (I use half gallon mason jars), saving some of the tea as starter for your next batch. I like to have a new pot of tea cooled and ready to go when I bottle. If you are not going to start another batch right away, you can keep your SCOBY in the fridge until you are ready. This will slow the ferment time of your next batch as it takes a bit for the SCOBY to warm up. Keep your bottles out for 24 hours before refrigerating them. 8. Refrigerate your bottled Kombucha Tea. It is ready to go when it’s cold, but the yeast will stay active for a while in the fridge which helps carbonate the Kombucha turning it into a nice fizzy drink. Five days in the fridge before consuming is good.

I hope you enjoyed this introduction to Kombucha Tea. One of the biggest issues we face as a society is the amount of dead, sterilized food we consume on a daily basis. In our house we call that stuff factory food, and I will comment on it and healthy alternatives regularly in this blog.

Kombucha Tea is a simple, healthy and tasty drink alternative in a fridge crowded with sodas and juice concentrate. You consume the microorganisms which contribute to good gut health, as well as the B vitamins, enzymes and acids they produce.

From freefarmgeek.wordpress.com

How to Make Sugar Water for Tea

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 00:00:00 -0500

You should make simple syrup which is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. (Equal parts is just sugar water, fit for hummingbird feeders). And yes that does seem like a lot of sugar but trust me it will all dissolve.

In pot bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring occasionally and then reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. DO NOT SKIP THE SIMMERING STEP; if you do, the sugar can recrystallize.

Note: The simmering breaks the sucrose molecules of the table sugar into their smaller sugar constituents: Fructose and Glucose. This makes the syrup even sweeter than it would be if it was made of all sucrose. So a little goes a long way.

Store in refrigerator or at room temperature for up to two weeks.

From zodirector on answers.yahoo.com

Standard Cold Teabag Brewing

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 00:00:00 -0500

I finally after all these years discovered that it is possible to cold-brew iced tea using the seemingly crazy method of putting tea bags in cold water.

(Recipe notes: The "cold water" is tap-temperature. I use the three big tea bags in a quart and a half of water. The tea steeps in less than half an hour. Pour the first glass over ice and put the rest in the fridge.)

For a better iced tea experience, add a flavored teabag or two in addition to the regular tea (experiment with ratios) and enjoy!

From Unfogged.com

How to Brew Different Types of Teas

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The best temperature for brewing tea depends on its type. Teas that have little or no oxidation period, such as a green or white tea, are best brewed at lower temperatures between, while teas with longer oxidation periods should be brewed at higher temperatures. This article specifies the optimal temperature and steeping time for different types of teas.

Black Tea

The water for black teas should be added near boiling point 210 °F (99 °C). Many of the active substances in black tea do not develop at temperatures lower than 90 °C. The temperature will have as large an effect on the final flavor as the type of tea used. The most common fault when making black tea is to use water at too low a temperature. It is also recommended that the teapot be warmed before preparing tea, easily done by adding a small amount of boiling water to the pot, swirling briefly, before discarding. Black teas are usually brewed for about 4 minutes and should not be allowed to steep for less than 30 seconds or more than about five. It is commonly said that a steeping time above five minutes make the tea bitter, but in reality the precise time depends on a number factors, such as the type of tea and the water quality, and bitterness can occur as early as three minutes, or not at all even after prolonged steeping. The popular varieties of black tea include the Assam tea, the Darjeeling tea and the black Ceylon tea.

Green Tea

Water for green tea, according to most accounts, should be around 176 °F to 185 °F (80 °C to 85 °C); the higher the quality of the leaves, the lower the temperature. Hotter water will burn green-tea leaves, producing a bitter taste. Preferably, the container in which the tea is steeped, the mug, or teapot should also be warmed beforehand so that the tea does not immediately cool down. High-quality green and white teas can have new water added as many as five or more times, depending on variety, at increasingly high temperatures.

Oolong Tea

Oolong teas should be brewed around 194 °F to 212 °F (90 °C to 100 °C), and again the brewing vessel should be warmed before pouring in the water. Yixing purple clay teapots are the traditional brewing vessel for oolong tea. For best results use spring water, as the minerals in spring water tend to bring out more flavor in the tea. High quality oolong can be brewed multiple times from the same leaves, and unlike green tea it improves with reuse. It is common to brew the same leaves three to five times, the third steeping usually being the best.

Source: Wikipedia (Licensed under CreativeCommons)